By Oksana Pavlov

Italian Renaissance  Late 1300s to about the 1600s  Period of great cultural change and achievement  Transition between Medieval and Early Modern Europe  Rekindled interest in Greek and Roman  Thought,  Literature  Art

Two form of comedy in Italy:  Commedia erudite  Learned comedy  Private performances  Commedia dell’ Arte  Popular comedy  Professional and open to the public

Commedia dell'arte  "comedy of professional artists"  "comedy of humors"  Improvised Comedy   most popular between 1575 and 1650

Contents of Commedia dell’ Arte  Improvisation  Masked fools  Acrobatic tricks  Intrigue plots  Satire  Music

Its beginnings: ??  Before 16th century not much is known  Fragments from letters and diaries indicate its existence before the 16 th century  First mentioned in history in the 1560s  Two playwrights of Roman comedies are credited for influencing Commedia dell’ Arte:  Titus Maccius Plautus: 254 BC – 184BC  Publius Terentius Afer (Terence): BC

Place & Performance  Drum announces the actors’ arrival to a city  Performances held almost anywhere:  In town squares or at courts  Indoors or outdoors  On improvised stages or in permanent theaters Traveling troupe’s makeshift stage

Themes  Adultery  Jealousy  Old age  Love

Scripts  Rough storyline: summarization of the situations, complications and the outcome  Also called scenario or canvas  Actors perform spontaneously by improvising their dialogues  Thus, details differed at every performance

Actors  The heart of Commedia dell’ arte and the only essential element  Usually actors per troupe  7-8 male; 3-4 female  One actor rarely played more than one character  Performances were spontaneous; thus each actor must be quick and witty to respond appropriately

Stock Characters  The same characters appeared in every play  The most essential part of Commedia  Identified by their costumes, masks or props such as slapstick  Divided into 3 categories:  Lovers (Innamorati)  Masters  Servants (Zanni)

Lovers (Innamorati)  Most realistic roles  Young and handsome  Did not wear masks  Dressed in latest fashions  Were children of the masters  Come in obvious pairs  Masculine and feminine versions of the same name  I.e. Flavio and Flavia or Ottavio and Ottavia  Dressed in similar colors  Often required to sing, play an instrument or recite poetry  Lust, romance, vanity, and little sense were usually their characteristics Ottavio

Masters  Pantalone  Elderly Venetian merchant and the father of one of the lovers  Obsessed with money  Mean and miserable  Costume: tight-fitting red vest, red breeches and stockings, soft slippers, a black ankle-length coat, a soft, brimless cap, a brown mask with a large hooked nose, and a scraggly gray beard

Masters  Dottore  Pantalone’s friend or rival  Possessed a high profession such as lawyer or doctor  Loved to show off his “supposed wisdom” through his speeches in Latin  In reality, was gullible and easily tricked  Dressed in academic cap and gown of the time

Masters  Capitano  Originally was a lover, but over time transformed into braggart and coward  Boasted of his prowess in love and war  Costume: a cape, sword, and feathered headdress  Typically an unwelcome  suitor to one of the young women

Servants (Zanni)  2-4 per troupe—at least one clever and one stupid  Most prominent are:  Fantesca (female maid)  La Ruffiana  Cantarina and Ballerina  Arlecchino (Harlequin)  Male servant, usually went by the name Brighella, Scapino, Mezzetino, or Flautino  Pulcinello

Servants  Fantesca (female maid)  Normally young, witty, and ready for intrigue  Had her own affair while assisting the mistress with hers  La Ruffiana  An old woman, either the mother or a village gossiper  Whore  Shady  Cantarina and Ballerina often took part in the comedy, but for the most part their job was to sing, dance, or play music.

Servants  Arlecchino (Harlequin)  Also known as: Truffaldino and Trivellino  Originally of minor importance, he soon became the most popular  Was both cunning and stupid, a stunning acrobat and dancer  Could usually be found in the middle of any intrigue  Illiterate, but pretends to read  Costume: evolved from a suit with irregularly placed multicolored patches into one with a diamond-shaped red, green, and blue pattern, a rakish hat above a black mask, and a slapstick

Servants  Another male servant, usually went by the name Brighella, Scapino, Mezzetino, or Flautino  Harlequin’s partner  Thrives on double dealings, intrigue, and foul play  Cynical liar and a thief—would do anything for money  Sleazy, seductive, and often cruel  Witty, libidinous, and often cruel  Costume: mask with a hooked nose and moustache, a jacket and trousers ornamented with a green braid

Servants  Pulcinello  A Neopolitan  Had various functions  Servant  Host of an inn  Merchant  Had a huge hooked nose, a humped back, and wore a pointed cap  Cruel bachelor who chased pretty girls  Ancestor of the English puppet Punch

Lazzi  Stage business  Humorous interjections which had nothing to do with the play itself such as:  Humorous remarks  Acrobatics  Juggling  Wrestling

Lazzi  Each actor has a notebook filled with well-rehearsed comic action such as:  Sententious remarks  Figures of speech  Love discourses  Rebukes

Lazzi  Used to:  Fill up time  Occasionally amuse the audience  Create a change of pace

Lazzi  Different forms of Lazzi: Lazzo of…  Fear  Weeping and laughing  Knocking at the door  Fight

Influence of Commedia dell’ Arte  By 1600s, it became popular in other European countries  Moliere—French playwright during 17 th century  Punch and Judy show  Shakespeare’s plays such as “The Tempest”  The silent treatment of mime  Beaumarchais’ Le Barbier de Seville   Innamorati of the Count and Rosine   The zanni Brighella is Figaro

References Ball, Robert J., and Oscar G. Brockett. The Essential Theatre. United Kingdom: Thomson Wadsworth, Chaffee, Judith. Judith Chaffee’s Commedia Website. Claudon, David. A Thumbnail History of Commedia Dell’ Arte. 15 Oct Commedia dell’ Arte. 20 Sep Wikipedia. Herrick, Marvin T. Italian Comedy in the Renaissance. London: University of Illinois Press, Smith, Winifred. The Commedia Dell’ Arte. New York: Benjamin Blom, Inc, 1964.

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